Merry Christmas (Late but still with Love)

We have had another blessed and full year. Last Christmas in the Philippines, different in so many ways, sunny and warm, constant Christmas Carolers after dark, 9 days of 4am masses leading up to Christmas, an artificial tree, and the distance from family. Yet these served to create an amazing Christmas! The Holidays spent in missions will remain in our hearts and memories as one of the most wonderful Christmas’s we have had as a family! This last year has been so full of changes, comings and goings, welcoming and saying “Goodbyes”
So we began our year in the Philippines where we were able to reach out to many, including the poor and outcast with the Goodnews of Christ and life lived for His Kingdom. We formed many wonderful friendships that will continue for the rest of our lives. We arrived back in the states, on Esther’s 12th birthday, February 28th flying into Oregon (Isaac seems to believe all airplanes go to Oregon) to be with family and finish Abigail’s senior year of High School. We celebrated three birthdays while here, Mia’s 15th, Anne’s 8th and Isaac’s 3rd. After graduation we sent Abi and Gabriella back to our mission base in Louisiana. They spent the next two months helping and attending short term mission trips. Abigail went to Ecuador twice while Gabriella went to back to the Philippines. While they were away the rest of the family spent time in MT renovating a house for Lora’s parents and connecting once again with our faith community. Peter turned 14 with family that we have not seen in many years. We loved our time there and even though the kids worked very hard they found time to be a part of the summer reading program where they were able to research, read books, write stories, watch historic movies and learn about a different theme each week put on by the library. Definitely the best reading program we have ever been a part of.

When Abigail and Gabriella joined us in MT, we celebrated our first child to turn 18 (Abigail), Rebekah’s 5th birthday and headed back to Louisiana to be with our missionary community for a couple of months. We got to meet the new missionaries entering the three month training, swim in the pond, celebrate Bridget’s 7th birthday and the day we left Big Woods Mission we found out number 11 was on the way!
We are now back in Oregon and are planning on staying awhile. We pray for the opportunity to go back out into missions but we are happy to be here with family and work on the farm once again. The Kids have already started in a local charter school. We will be able to celebrate two more birthdays this month Rachel’s 11^th and Gabriella’s 17th. Please refer to our blog if you don’t know the reason for our not going to Ecuador: http://rooftopmissions.blogspot.com/2013/11/ecuador-no-more.html or just call, send an email. We pray the Lord has done wonderful things in your life as well in this past year and pray for Blessed 2014!